Manufacture of hats.



l. l. TRACY.

MANUFACTUHE 0F HATS.

Avrucmon FILED APR. 1. 1913. 1,214,846. Patented Fel 6,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

4 gli @gjwl. J. TRACY. MANUFCTUBE or HATS.

2 SHEETSf-SHEET 2- "UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES J. TRACY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO..

MANUFACTURE 0F HATS.

specification of Letters Patent.

- Application filed April 7, 1913.

\ To all 'wlw/ifi 'at may concern: I

Be it known that I,'J.\.\r1:s J. 'Fulmine citizen ot' the United States, and a resident l of Cleveland, county of luyalioga, land State o'l"().hio, have .invented a new and use ful Improvement in the Manufacture of Hats, of which the following isa s-pci'iimr tion7V the principle ot the invention being herein explained and the best mode in which I have contemplated amilying that-principle, so as to distinguish it from other in-` `means hereinafter fully described and par* ticularly pointed. out in the claims. It should also be explained that the apparatus aspect of the nvention forms the subject matterot. `a seperate divisional application filed December 29, 1916, Serial No. 139,462.

The annexed drawings and the following description set forth in vdetail certain. mechanism` and one mode embodying the invention,- suclr disclosed means constituting, however, but one of the variousl Ways in which the principle of' the invention may be used. y i

In said annexed vdraw-ings Figure 1 4is a front elevationand partial section ofan apparatus arranged for use in connection with my improved method of manufacturing hats; Fig. 2 is a Side elevak tional View of the same; Fig. 3is a sectional view of a portion of the apparatus With the parts shownin different operative position from that shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 1 illustrates a modification in constructioi'l of one of the 4mernlwrs ofthe machine; and Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate still same member.

The general frame l of the machine presents yno unusual features of-'constructiom such frame serving to isupport 'the forming apparatus proper, consisting principally oi" other modifications of the serial No. 759,283.

a stationary member 2 and a movable member 3.

4The latter, which is in the form and size of the interior of the hat being manufactitled, will be cast of metal, preferably zine,

and is adl'justably attached to a cross head 4,

which supy'iorted on tive vertically recip- :gocablc rods 5. These rods are adaptedto be (lepressed b v means of a foot lever 6 connected therewith by a link 7 and a cross bar S, tension springs 9, connected with said rods through bell-crank levers 10 and links 11, serving normally to retain the form or mold 3 in the raised position illustrated in Fig. 3. This mold 3 is hollow, and means are provided ,for heating its interior, such means consisting either of a gas burner- 12,

Patented Feb. e, 1917.

as shown in Fig. l, or steam connections,

suitably disposed within the same.

The'stationary member 2 of the` forming apparatus proper rests onl a chambered base 13 of general cylindrical lform having central openings 14 and 15 in its top-and bottom walls, respectively, the opening in its lower` Wall sing surrounded by a circular flange 1 6 which extends upwardly Within the chamber in the base, as shown'. The

bottom wall slopes from this flange tothe outer cylindrical Wall and isk furthermore sloped from the one side of the chamber, Where a steam-supply pipe 17 enters such outer wall, to the opposite side of such chamber, Where a drip pipe 18 ris connected s through the bottom Wall. The inner end of thesteam supply pipe is provided with a downwardly bent portion 19, so that any water of condensation entering with the steam,together with that formed after the steam enters the chamber', vwill collect on the bottom wall and -rlm around the same to the outlet pipe 18, and there be drawn off. Only relatively dry .steam in other Words will pass upwardly above the flange 16 and through the opening 14 in the upper wall of the chambered base.

he stationary member 2 is' securely clamped to the top 'of the base but may Vbe interchanged with other4 similar members of different forms corresponding with' hats. of different styles and sizes. The upper por'- tion of'such member 2 is provided with an opening of the same outline as the hat at the band or joint ojunction of the crown with the brim. The portion 20 of the mem' ber or form,` as it may be called, adjacent bottom wall of the chambered i ofthe base and thusto the lower mold memseated, the air suction, or draft, isturnedon this openingis fashioned to give the de sired shape of brim whether simply turned, rolled, or otherwise. On the outside ofthe form is a circular series of 'pointedprojeetions or pins 21', to which the edge of the 'hatA being formed is attached, as will Abe proved method ofA hat manufacture, the -lower'mold member 2 is heated to the proper' temperature by admitting steam .through pipe 17 while theupper member 3 is "simule tane'o'u y heated by contact with the steam in.-

chamber 2, orby nieans'of the burner l2, or another 'steam-,supply fpipe; With `the mold pertsfhns heated, the hat 24 in its unformcd condition, but havingbeen previously sized and kept suiliciently damp and 's'o'ft by placing it vover 'a steam jet, to prevent it from becoming too stiil" to handle, is slipped over theA inner mold'or'forlnin member 3, while in the raised position s own in Fi 3. Said member is then depressed, so as'to orce the crownfof the hat through the opening lin the vlower mold member 3, but before the upper member is fully `seated the edge of the .brim is drawn over vsuch lower mold member and secured to the pins 21 about its entire circumference-` A tape or band- 25 is also desirably 4passed around the brim, a'fterit is thus pinned fast, in o rder to additionally Secure the same. The upper mold member is then forced clear down. Steam may continu'eto besupplied to the interior ber not onl preliminarily, but duringl and following t estep 'ust described, as t e resuit of whiehvthe atv is readily given the formjofgthe mold part.

Afterv the upper mold member' has' been Y by opening valve 23, and the mold .member 3 thereupon raised, as soon as the crown of the hat'is dry enough to retain itsshape.

The air instantly carries away any steam remaining iii tlielower mold part, and also assists in holding the hat in Aplacethereon wheresiicti'on is used.` At the same time vilicient air 'will be passed throllgh the -ittouicklyffvset in the de-` slide valve 23, located y:in te 'terior ofpart 3.

:gwn the hat tojrapidly cool and dry the' Constr-notional forms'4 l m 50W?, both-@hapert Figs. 1 and 3, the brim of the hat will re' than the crown, because the air is not drawn directly through such brim. The mold, however, can be arranged to permit` edge 2O of the mold part in question, as shown in Fig. si, although this is not adaptable for use with felt hats having'- smoothly inished surfaces, since marks or impressions corresponding with the holes in the mold will be left, which a* diiiicult to rerase. This difficulty does not arise where the hats have. a long nap or rough finish, nor

where the air is forced through the hat,-

'With the construction of mold part 2 shown in Fig..4, it is possible to have the mold part 3, perforated, so that the air may be passed through both crown and* b1im, 'whether under suction oir pressure, thus rendering itunneeessary to raise such lastnamed part until the operation is complete.l Itis 'also possible t0 arrange the apparatus so'that the yair may be passed in one direction through the brim and in the other direction through the `Icrown of the hat.

This is the mode of operation for which the l'nodfication shown-in Fig. 5 has been designed, wherein a separate annular chamber 27 is provided inV connection with apertures 2S in the flange, or brin'x-forlning portion', of the lower mold member 2. .Anun-- der pressure through aY pipe 29 is supplied to this v chamber fit-the saine time, )ust after the suction is connected with the main chamber of the mold, so that` while such suction wili hold the hat in place in the mold, and dry the'erown'of-the hat, air may be blown through the brim by means of the connection to this annular chamber and the apertures leading from the upper portion of e a slightly longer time to thuscool and this, by forming perforations 26 inthe lili? such chamber.. Here again the mold-part 3 Y is desirably be left locke in placewhile the cooling and drying ste is in regress,

iin said gig. 5, also lshow a modification in the interior construction of Vmold-part 2 which has vbeen found desirable in practice.

This modification consists inthe provision 'or w'second flange 3Q withiniiange- 1 6 'and' depending downwardly. By the use oftwo -sueh flanges in `staggered relationa Indre perfect baile is interposed( he wayof anywater. of. condensation ge' into lthe This mo. d-part 3, in constructionas shown`in provide for' the securing of te hat brim` thereto, insteadA of to the Han d edge 20 of art 2, In lsuch 'event the gnge 31 on sai( art 3 is somewhat extended, and pros' vided1J withretaining pins 32, similar to the pins 21 on part 2 inther rpreviously described finally, be modified the (perforated in order that it may F1. 6, seas to 

